Life Through A Window
by Mrs Bella Riddle
Summary: Druella Rosier always knew her role in life and how her life would unfold. She always tried to uphold the lessons she had been taught. However, it was not always easy. Druella/Tom & Druella/Cygnus
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I'm excited to write my very first Riddle Era multi chapter fic. It will focus on the life of Druella Rosier and her interaction with her family, Cygnus and Tom Riddle. It will feature my usual love of era appropriate attitudes and the context which will likely involve mentions of the war. It is written for Maria's Multi- chapter Competition so updates will be about once a week and it will be about 20 chapters or so.

Also, this is just the prologue so later chapters will be longer.

Enjoy.

)o(

The sky above was filled with fog and the smog that coated London. It blocked away the rays of the sun making the ground darker than it should have been in the middle of summer.

It did not impact the children below. The boy and girl with the same matching bright blonde locks laughed and ran; a charmed gold ball the size of a chestnut with silver almost invisible wings fluttered above them. They seemed to be at ease in their own little game cut off from the world by massive marble white walls that circled the patches of grass and a pearly white town house behind them.

The snitch made a dramatic dive downwards teasing its chasers. The girl leaped up and to the side, but failed in her quest. She was already short and the flowing cream robes gave her little movement and her effort was quickly cut off and stippled.

The boy had no such ill fortune. Laughing, he reached over his sister grasping it without issue or worry.

"Got it!" he announced dramatically, his chubby cheeks flushed with mirth. "Better luck next time, Dru."

"Klaus!" she whined, her arms crossed over her chest. "That isn't fair! I want it."

He smiled and lifted it over her head to tease her like she was a cat over a mouse. She whined and tried to grab it but again her leaps were pitiful and ineffective. Giving up her hopeless leaps, she chose the wiser course of action and went for his shoulder going to try and pull him down to her level.

"Give it to me!"

However, the childish whines and cries were cut off by a louder and more mature declaration. "Druella Rosier what are you doing?"

The young blonde girl known as Druella froze and dropped down flat onto her feet and whipped her head around her hair flowing in the breeze.

"Mother," she gasped, her face falling immediately into a look of sorrow and embarrassment. "I'm sorry mother. I was just playing with Klaus."

There was no mention of the fact that her brother had been playing around as well. It was only aimed at the young woman who was the focus of a hawk like gaze poisoned by disapproval.

"Come here, Druella," she stated her voice noticeably lower as she gestured her with one perfectly manicured hand that had never been raised for a minute's worth of hard labour in its life. "We need to talk."

"Yes, mother."

Druella did not even look back and see the sympathetic gaze her brother was sending her She only lowered her head and continued to walk like a stoic soldier about to meet the gallows. She continued walking and ascended the marble stairs with the click of each sandal a poor mimic of her mother's impressive and elaborate heels.

She did not look at the extensive entrance way framed in antique portraits. She only continued to look down as her mother stopped in the now abandoned room where there was no one but them. She then turned around disapproval etched over her attractive features.

"What did you think you were doing?" she scolded, without remorse or any sort of pleasure. "You were behaving like a common mudblood. You are a young pureblood witch. You should not behave in such a way."

Druella felt her throat bun and blinked back tears as she nodded slowly. She hated when her mother was angry at her. "I'm sorry, mother. I was just playing with Klaus."

"But you must not. Look at me." Reluctantly, Druella did as she was told. She was a little surprised to find that the harshness in her mother's eyes had lessened. Even the sting in her voice decreased. "That is not how you must behave. You and your brother will have different roles in life so you must act differently."

Still, young Druella did not exactly understand the concept but she had been told it a number of times so it was easy to repeat those lessons. "Because he is a boy?"

"Yes. And you are a young woman. You have different roles in life. Klaus will inherit and he will be the Heir, but that is not your task. You will be very happy. You will find a fine young man who will love and adore you. You will be made a princess and you will have your own children some day."

"But why?"

"Because it is what you are meant to do in life. You don't need to worry. Your life is filled with promise. You will marry and you will find a man who will make you so happy."

Druella smiled half at the absence of the angry tone. She tried to understand. She tried to comprehend everything her mother had said, but for the seven year old girl it was not easy. She just did not understand.


	2. What Is Not Seen

**A/N:** Here we have chapter two with the prompts "dinner table" and "what is not seen". If you were curious about when this is set, this chapter is in 1944 (thus the reference to the war).

)o(

Sixteen, blonde, lithe, attractive and well bred, Druella tried to display all those positive traits as she stared wide eyed. She swore to herself she would not flinch. She swore to herself she would not display anything that was not evidence of her impeccable breeding. She swore to herself she would not cry.

But, it was so hard.

The boy in front of her squirmed on the souls of his feet even as he squared his shoulders and tried to pretend like nothing was wrong. The yellow flecks in his eyes flared in the setting sun peeking out from just above the lake.

"It is for the best," he declared in a voice that was easy to detect had been rehearsed seemingly a hundred times. "I'm sorry Druella, but I'm sure you will come to accept that in time."

Watching and listening to everything around her like she was a spectator rather than a participant, she felt numb as she slowly nodded. It would be unbecoming to argue with such a gentleman, but it seemed equally ludicrous to accept such a statement. After all, it was not correct. She and Harrison Fawley had been courting for several years now. Their families approved and they were suited together. She thought he would have been a very acceptable choice of husband.

Yet, he did not think so. He must have been made to think she would not have made a flawless wife. She could have told him that, but she must not. She was a well bred lady. Well bred ladies did not make such comments or conduct themselves in such a way. However, she was not sure her mother had ever told her a way to handle such a rejection.

"Perhaps, Harrison," she murmured softly in a dainty voice with a touch of ice she could not help but let slither in. She hoped it was not too improper, though it was so hard to manage everything at this time. "I do not know what the future will bring."

He nodded slowly his mask slipping slightly as if he was trying to remember his notes. "Of course, but it does not mean I will not see you." He smiled slightly, but she could not return his expression.

"Of course not. I have no complaints or qualms with your company."

The squirming of Harrison increased. She did not say anything to ease his distress. She continued to watch him with icy blue eyes waiting for what he would do. She would not help him. She was not sure she could help herself.

"Great." His face flared red before he tried to steel himself again. "Well until I see you next time, Druella."

He gave her an awkward half bow and half tilt of the head before he walked back inside the entrance hall the echo of the students inside trickling out to her.

Druella could not face them yet.

As the oak door echoed closed, the perfectly contorted features fell away. Her lip quivered and her throat burned, but she refused to cry. She may have lost her best hope of a husband, but she would not mar her appearance. She had to. She had to be perfect. She had to be flawless, especially now.

Her mother would be so upset. Even Aunt Mariah would be devastated. They had been so proud that she had been so close to securing an engagement, but their positive feelings had been for nothing because now that hope was gone. She would have to start again. It would be hard but she would. Druella had no intention of being an old maid.

Having enjoyed her moment of weakness, she pushed down her uncertainty. She slid back on her mask, straightened to her not very impressive height and followed the path Harrison had taken through the double doors.

The Entrance Hall was crowded. The noise was deafening with stomping footsteps echoing against the stone floors along with the gaggle and shrieks of conversation. The through fair was moving rapidly with some students leaving from the Great Hall but most were heading in the direction of an ever greater noise and the tell tale scent of roast beef and vegetables.

It was especially appealing with the war rations, but it did not sing to Druella. The prospect of eating was sickening more than anything else when she would rather sulk in piece, but she could not. She would not sit alone and seem like she was depressed or that she had been impacted by rejection. No, she would walk in like there was nothing wrong and be appealing as possible. She would show she would win and anyone would be lucky to have her.

Repeating that mantra again and again in her mind, Druella swept through the door. Most of the rows of house tables were already crowded and the Slytherin table was no exception. Druella refused to be intimidated even when she noticed a gaze of a number of her housemates upon her. She suspected they might have been looking for weakness, but they would not find any.

Druella would be flawless.

Sweeping into an empty seat, she kept only the smallest feminine smile on her features as she slowly served herself food from the heavily laden table with ease. To the outside world Druella was flawless. What they could not see was how hard it was and how much she wanted to flee that table or hide underneath it.

She would not. She would survive and she would flourish.

She swore she would.


End file.
